Almost lost everything
by uselessname
Summary: My continuation after seing the spoilers of ch. 258 of the manga Skip Beat !


Hello,

after reading the raw chapter 258, I felt just awful and needed to find a good "escape" for the canon story. It's my first FF ever, and English is not my mother language.

I don't have a "proof reader" whatever it might mean, and of course, "I own nothing".

Yashiro could not believe it : Kyoko was almost murdered ! In his watch no less !

Sawing that she was still in shock, on the ground, as overwelmed as he was, his heart leap for her. In that instant, she has earned all is loyalty and support : it was not only part of the job anymore. She deserves a good manager, and as much as possible people caring for and loving her.

His immediate thoughts went to Ren : it was his day off, he sould be available. Now was not a time for a call, matters were to be settled first, but a message wouldn't hurt.

Getting his phone in his gloved hand, he send a text to his ex-charge informing him of Kyoko's situation : **Kyoko was almost murdered minutes ago, she'll need you. Come to XXXX building. Now.**

In another part of the town, a phone chimed lightly in a somber room. Recognizing whose person this particular ring was linked to, the phone's owner stopped kissing and fondling the beautifull woman before him, to look at what important message his manager was sending him on his hard-earned day off.

A second ticked. Two. His heart was in shambles, what to make of it ? Was it real ? Should he go ?

A part of him was still pissed at Kyoko for choosing Fuwa over him. Yet, another part couldn't ignore that she was almost killed. Almost killed, minutes ago.

He let it sink. Finally understanding came, and terror with it. She almost died, living his life forever, like Rick had.

His blood ran cold : even if in his anger he was thinking of cutting all ties with her (to protect himself, but he would have never admited to it), he understood that watever happened with Sho, he didn't want her dead. He needed her, that much he knew for certain. It hurts how much he wants her for himself, his real happiness could only come from her.

He was still his sempai, his friend. He HAS TO go to her, making sure she's fine. And if Fuwa comes… well, he'll know what to do at that particular time, even if he dreads it.

… Does he needs to come, if Fuwa is her boyfriend now ? Shouldn't Yashiro call _him_? Does he _want_ to go comfort her ?

… would _he_ come for her ? Getting the role of the knight in shining armor _again_?

No. No way in hell will he let that prick get a positiver image in her head. He's a jerk. If she's blind to that point now that she has forgiven the blond bastard, then at least he needs to make his point through her thick head and proves to her how much of an asshole he is. That he's totally not made for her. That she deserves way better than a cheating, egoistical bastard who until now was doing his best to make her feel miserable.

He was looked at intently, and with a light laught, the beauty before him asked him to put the phone down, teasing him with her hands about being impolite. She didn't like what she saw on his face : the frown, the anger, then a blank look, terror and resolution in the end. She sensed that he was changing his mind, and she didn't like it at all. She wanted him, just for her, and forever if she had a say in it : Ren was handsome, kind, famous, and loaded. Totally husband material.

The man in question inspired slowly, looked into her eyes and with an apologetic smile, says the words she dreaded to hear :

« I'm sorry. I have to go. »

Resigned, her shoulders sagged a little. Through her long lashes, with the most sultry expression she could gather, the beauty looked at him, and gave him a personnal number on a busined card. « Call me when you're finished, so we can continue where we left... »

Smiling gently without responding, Ren took his vest and got out of the room.

On his way back, he saw Kijima looking at him strangely. With a wave of his hand, he smiled at him :

« Take your time, the night's on me. I have to go. See you later, Kijima ! » He started to go when a hesitation was stopping him. Looking back over his shoulder, he stared at his friend and put one finger over his mouth, then joined his hands, asking him silently to never spoke of his near blunder to anyone.

After tonight, he'll have all the time in the world to really think things through. And if needed, he still has that phone number. But now was clearly not the time to make a clear decision on that matter.

Ren was still a nerve wreck when he got into his car and his driving took quite a hit : he nearly crashed several times before arriving on site.

First, he saw the police cars, then a medic team truck. His throat was getting tighter : it was getting horribly real.

Getting out of his car, he just had to follow the uniformed people inside to find what his heart desired more than anything : her.

She was with the medical team, apologising for the inconvenience, that she was fine, now. So typical. A slight smile settled on his face, his heart a little relieved at her being just alive before his eyes. Yashiro was by her side, guarding her, his eyes locked on a pair of women on the far end of the building's lobby.

 _Hu. I know them. Morizumi-san ? What is she doing here ? Wait a minute… Handcuffs ?_

His eyes focused once again on his love : she was tired, her face pale and weary. Her eyes… _Cold ? No… Hard ? ...Distant ? Why ?_ Scarred he would have understood, or relieved to be out of danger now, but that ? Something was wrong with her. She should not have that look, given the situation.

It made him frown. His blood was in turmoil again. First cold with panic, then warmed at the first glimpse of her, and now it's growing cold again from anxiousness.

He saw these eyes before. In a mirror, years ago. They meant hurt so great that you have to separate yourself from your own emotions. Would that be because someone attended to end her life ? Knowing her, she should be full of life, angry at her perpetrator, proud of her having nothing damaged during the incident which would be compromizing for her budding carrer... Not … **That**. What _else_ happened then ?

 _She's not fine at all_ , came the conclusion as clear as the light of day in his mind.

Ever so slowly, he came accross the room to her, first seen by her manager which exanged a look of gratitude over him, then by the medic team, making the woman blush slightly. A few more steps and he was next to her.

 _Again, she's lost in her own mind, I'm totally transparent to her._

A part of his mind questioned the relevence of his being here. He's not in her heart. He's just a sempai to her. She choose another one for her boyfriend. _It hurts._

Finally, crouching before her and letting his hand do waterver it was itching to do, in fact caressing lightly her cheek to make her come back of watever far away dark place her mind was at, he smiled at her with concerned eyes.

Hers didn't really focus at first, then saw him. They were still almost inexpressive, like she was blind to the world, imprinting a great fear in Ren's heart. Then, she slowly tilted her head, and with her voice was so soft it was barely above a wisper, said to him : « Am I dreaming ? Are you really here ? » he sensed the heavy hope in that bare wisper of her whishes.

 _I am such. A. Moron._

It finally downed on him : you don't _dream_ of a sempai going to you in your time of needs. Nor for a friend when you have one just one meter away from you, protecting you in the best way he can. You don't place that much hope in a person if he/she doesn't mean a very big something for you.

 _I nearly totally screwed up everything for good._

Realief, fear of what he could have lost grasped his trembling heart.

His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb slightly caressing her skin. One small tear came out of her eye, then another. And another. Silently crying in relief, she let him embrace her, soothing her, feeling safe for the first time that evening.

Hopeful. He was insalenly hopeful, marveling at the emotionnal roller coaster that only that one girl could make him feel. An anger so deep he wasn't thinking right, a fear so great he tought he could stop breathing, guilt so massive he wanted to crawl in a hole and never get out of it, and now a hope so blinding he's nearly chocking on his own breath.

While he made the most of this situation (a delicious Kyoko willingly being huged in his arms), he as silently as possible asked his ex-manager how it had come to this. Why was his ex co-star and her manager here, handcuffed and in a very heated discussion with the police and some people he doesn't know and hadn't noticed before, tree guys and a young woman in a weelchair.

But before Yashiro can answer him, he feels Kyoko stiffen in his embrace. Then she lifted her head as to look at him in his eyes and asked with a crackled voice:

« shouldn't you be over here, with Morizumi-san ? »

« Why should I be ? »

Kyoko stared at him silently, hurt still visible in her eyes. Then, taking a big breath, she responds :

« You gave her a promise ring. Doesn't that mean that you choose her as your future life partner ? »

To say that Ren and Yashiro were shocked was an understatement.

It was Yashiro who came back to himself first, and vehemently denied everything :

« Of course not Kyoko-chan ! Ren hadn't see Morizumi-san since the end of their filming two years ago ! And he's not an idiot, he'll never give a ring to any co-star of him, knowing it would be misinterpreted ! She must have been liying to you, Kyoko-chan ».

Silence met his tirade. And frowned eyebrows on Kyoko.

« But she matched… 4 year younger and in high school... » Again, only his close proximity permited Ren to hear her response.

Ren sighed. Oh, he was going to kill that blabermouth one day.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the medic team slowly get back to their other duties. Good. Less people to hear this very private conversation.

« No, Kyoko, I don't love her. Never have, in fact. Too manipulative and cunning for my tastes. »

A small smile appeared on his lips as he continues :

« In fact, I do love a highschool girl, 4 years younger. But she's a good girl, a great cook, smart, has more talent in her little finger than I have in my whole body and a very caring and forgiving nature. »

The smile grew a little wider, and a glint of mischief could be seen in his chocolate eyes, while Koyko's went blank and distant again. It only fueled Ren's hope :

« She's not your everyday girl, you see : she's so special that even the President thought it would be a waste to let her go. He even created a whole new section just to keep her in LME. »

Now, Kyoko's eyes began to come alive with reflexion, searching her memory of the LME employees to find a name.

On the other end, Ren's smile grew even wider, he was nearly laughing at her denseness.

« You see, it's a really particular section, for a really particular person. Her work uniform is a really particular color also. »

Kyoko's expression froze. Her eyes widened.

« I'm talking about the very first, founding member of this section » he says with such kindness that she thought that his voice could be made of coton candy.

Her head started to vehemently denied what her heart was starting to understand.

Seeing this, another suprising reaction on her part, his smile deemed a little. She still could not believe. Or was she rejecting him ? _No_ , he thought. _I felt that one heavy hope a few minutes ago. It must mean it._

Racking his brain to find exactly how he could make her understand, he finaly sighed, looked at Yashiro and made his decision. He'll tell her everything, but not here.

« Yashiro, if neither of you are needed here anymore, » he says as his head points to some police officer in the far end of the room, « can I take Mogami-san with me ? We really need to get in a more private place, so that she can collect herself and so we can talk freely ».

Ren looked at his manager pointedly : no squeeling here and now !

« Get her out of here, Ren, she needs a better and calming environnement. »

« Count on me. See you later. »

Getting the clue and by a monstruous effort of will, his friend and manager supressed his glee, excused himself to join the police and finalise the deposition.

But Kyoko didn't moove, she was shell shocked, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Chuckling, Ren took her hand to get her to his car, finaly taking her with him, for good this time.

Because he knew it. She forgave Sho for his heavy wrongdoings, she'll forgive him for his lies, made only to protect her happiness. Whith his heart so light from finally understanding where is place in her life is now, and will be later, finally understanding how lucky he was that she was alive and well, with a future to share with him, he drove her home.

Because his home was hers too. He'll make sure of it, waterver time it might takes to make her believe. He'll do it. He'll get her, and his, « happily ever after ».


End file.
